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Saturday, January 17, 2015

Let's Talk : The Duff (Movie)

I did something that I don't normally do. I watched a movie before reading the book. Yeah, I know. How could I? Right? This is probably one of the most scandalous things you could do as an avid reader but I did it anyway. I don't always read the book but if it's a YA book then I either read it or at least try to read it (The Maze Runner) before watching the movie. I haven't watched The Book Thief yet because I still have to read the book, I haven't even seen the trailer. I averted my eyes and covered my ears every time The Fault in Our Stars trailer came on before I read the book. But I had an opportunity to go to an advanced screening and I took it and that is how I ended up watching The Duff movie before reading a single word from the book.

All I knew about this movie was what I saw from the trailer. I was expecting a regular old high school movie that was super predictable but a good way to waste time when you don't have anything better to do. It was predictable but I didn't mind that because the movie had so much more to offer. First of all, it was fun. I was laughing and aww-ing and feeling lots of feels. Secondly, Mae Whitman, who plays Bianca, was such a refreshing actress to see on screen. This is the first thing I've seen with her but I want to see so much more. I love her acting! Third, The Duff managed to entertain while also spreading an important message about bullying and cyber-bullying. I really liked the movie. There were a lot of Mean Girls sort of vibes and I feel like this could become one of those movies that people will watch over and over again. I definitely wanted to watch it again as soon as it was done.

The only thing I would pick on is the portrayal of high school teenagers. I understand that it's meant to be comedic and for that cause a lot of stereotypes are emphasized but I felt like they focused way too much on certain things that just seemed so unrealistic and fake. For example, there's a scene where Bianca gets in a fight with her friends and they proceed to unfriend and unfollow each other from pretty much every single social media platform known to man. It was just too much and I might have internally groaned during that scene. Aside from very specific moments though, I felt the movie, overall, was a great watch.

Also, I took my brother along and of course he acted like he had better things to do but I think he actually enjoyed the movie too. He hasn't said so in so many words but he has made several references to the movie since so I think that means he liked it. And the fact that Mae Whitman was on Arrested Development also helps.

My review of this movie comes from the perspective of someone who hasn't read the book and has nothing to compare it to (I am planning on reading the book before the movie is released and maybe I'll add an update to this post) but, as a non-reader of this book, I enjoyed the movie. It's a simple story, one we've heard a million times before but for whatever reason we like hearing it over and over again with whatever new combination of characteristics.